raiffeisen bank, vouvry branch, competition entry

client:

banque raiffeisen du haut-léman

programme:

customer service area, reception desk, waiting area, appointment rooms, cafeteria, plant rooms

dates:

competition june 2016

siting and composition

the building takes account of its specific position at a crossroads. the compact space is at right-angles to the main road and its geometry is distorted slightly, so that it is aligned with the building lines of each road.

the banking areas face mainly towards the avenue du valais, while the residential units look out onto the green spaces to the south of the building.

there are small offsets in the lines of the solid external walls to reflect the superimposition of functional layers. the building's flat roof emphasises its character as a services building.

the banking functions are set within fluid, generous spaces, those accessible to the public being on the ground floor, those for staff on the first floor. both levels are connected by a double-height space to provide spatial continuity.

external spaces

the bank is accessed via a small square, which is treated as an extension of the public space. this square indicates the building's institutional role and gives it greater visibility from the street.

the outdoor parking area is reserved for clients and visitors, freeing precious land for use as outdoor space.

materials

the load-bearing structure of the building is in solid concrete. this material is made clearly visible in the outer walls but its appearance is softened by the use of coloured concrete and by sanding the concrete to make the aggregates stand out.

the solid nature of the materials and the treatment of the openings express the bank's solidity and permanence.

inside the bank, this sanded concrete is used for the floor. particular attention is paid to the entrance area, in which elaborately-worked materials are used to create the appropriate image. the working spaces are given a more restrained treatment.

vehicle management

the open-air parking area, along the chemin des bresoleys, is reserved for clients and visitors, with underground spaces available for the building's residents and for bank employees.

in order to encourage people to walk, and to avoid having vehicles drive across the pavement, the outdoor parking spaces are sited at the side of the road, partially on the piece of municipal land. (we envisage a formal agreement being made between the client and the municipality concerning the parking area and the pavement).

the presence of parked vehicles on the chemin des bresoleys will naturally help to reduce the speed of the traffic, which is already restricted to 30km/h.

parking vehicles inside the building undeniably increases user comfort, eliminating the need to remove snow in winter and the consumption of energy to cool overheated interiors in summer.

the additional cost incurred in constructing a basement is justified by the value added to the whole project in terms of quality. as the phreatic high water is at an altitude of 377.65m (source: créalp), the basement can be created without any need to provide a waterproof lining for the walls and floor.

flexibility

the organisation of the plan allows tremendous flexibility, the bank could easily extend its premises at a later date by taking over the first-floor apartments.

the plans show a proposal for five apartments: two 1-bedroom apartments and three 3-bedroom room apartments. depending on client demand, it is possible to "donate" a bedroom to the neighbouring apartment and in this way create, for example, four 2-bedroom apartments and one 3-bedroom apartment.

energy

through its compact volume and highly efficient envelope, the building's design minimises its energy requirements. it has good thermal inertia thanks to its solid concrete construction.

to prevent overheating in the summer, the triple-glazed windows are covered with spectrally-selective film, and external fabric awnings provide additional solar protection.

heating and/or cooling, depending on the time of year, is provided by a high-performance ground source heat pump. this pump is reversible, enabling the system to create a year-round equilibrium, and thus minimise disturbances to the natural surroundings.

heat is distributed through an active slab system (radiant ceilings) for optimised low-temperature distribution of heat (or coolness).

all the premises have mechanical ventilation, which increases comfort levels and reduces energy expenditure. the set of systems described will make the minergie standard easily achievable and, with a few minor adaptations, the minergie-P standard. the ‘’minergie’’ bonus of increasing the floor area ratio by 15% is taken into account in this project.

the roof will be able to accommodate 250 m² of photovoltaic panels that will cover part of the immediate electricity consumption of the bank and the residential units.